Hi all, I'm conducting some product research into battery cases and their appeal. On the surface, it looks a no brainer i.e for minimal weight addition, you get 1.5 to 2 x better battery life versus a regular case or no case at all.<p>So why don't we see more battery cases in the wild? Is the profile/thickness/weight or simply lack of visual appeal that stops people buying one? Is it pricing?<p>Would appreciated your thoughts battery cases and your experience if you've owned one.
I'm unsure if this anecdote will be helpful to you, but it's the best I
can offer. During Christmastime, my large, extended family has a big get
together with a fun gift game. All the presents get piled in the center
of the room. Some of the presents are silly joke gifts, but others are
quite nice. Everybody gets a number. When you get your turn, you can
either pick a wrapped present from the pile, or steal a present from
someone who's already opened one. Each present can only trade hands
three times. All sorts of deals and conspiracies follow, but it's a lot
of fun.<p>This year, one of the kids, a boy about 13, got a pair of battery cases
for two different iPhone models. Though he had an iPhone, he <i>REALLY</i>
wanted to get rid of the battery case so he could pick another gift. I
played the part of the "too kind grown up" and "stole" the gift he was
vehemently flogging. I don't own an iPhone but I figured I might be able
to use them for parts for some electronics project (you can never have
enough spare batteries and widgets ;). The battery cases were actually
good, band name (Duracell I think) accessories, but absolutely nobody
wanted them.<p>As much as people complain about phone battery life, if you can't get
anyone in a group of adults and especially kids to want a free battery
case, there may be some issue with the product.<p>Though battery cases make sense to you, and me, I've never been a heavy
mobile user, so I've never had the need for one.
External batteries probably work better for most. You just put it in your bag and don't have to bear all the shortcomings of the battery case. Might be a tad heavier and you have to do the extra step of plugging it in while in your bag but that's nothing compared to the alternative.
They make the phone heavier, thicker, and uglier. In my case it's for zero benefit, since at the end of the day I usually have 30-40% charge left.